Draft appliance.



No. 809,318. PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906. A. McNEIL.

DRAFT APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED Emma. 1905.

Witnesses: (J78 Inventor WM.

t a Attorney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed February 9, 1905. Serial No. 244,977.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANGUS MoNEIL, a subject of the King of England,residing at North Sydney, county of Cape Breton, Province of NovaScotia, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Draft Appliance; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in draft applianceadapted particularly for use in towing vessels, and comprises certainfeatures of novelty in the detail construction and arrangement of thecooperating parts whereby a single unitary structure is produced whichis strong, durable, and economical and which will respond to all therequirements of a device of this sort in practical use.

In towing vessels it is well known that the tow-line at times becomesslack and again is tightened up very rapidly, because of which breaksfrequently occur in the tow-line, especially where wire ropes or cablesare used, and it has been found that by attaching one or more of thedevices shown in the accompanying drawings that such breakage in thetowing-line will be positively avoided.

In the annexed drawings similar numerals of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views, wherein Figure 1 is an elevationalview of my improved draft appliance. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalview thereof, and Fig. 3 is a detached end view of a modificationadapted to be used in place of the hook shown at the upper end of thedevice illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a barrel or outer shell of metaltubing, preferably formed as a straight cylinder from end to end. Withinone end of this cylinder is seated a plug 2, having the offset orshoulder 3 and being providedwith a perforation extending therethroughin line with the longitudinal axis of the barrel 1. Within the cylinder1 and projected through the plug 2 is a draft-rod 4, which is providedat one end, preferably, with a loop or eyelet 5, by means of which itmay be connected with a cable or with any convenient place of attachmentfor use in towing.

Supported upon the rod 4 is a disk 6, which is held on the inner endthereof, while a spring 7 rests against the plug 2 at one end andpresses upon said disk 7 at its opposite end. The rod 4 is preferablyscrew-threaded at its inner end, and on the screw-threaded portion issecured a nut 8, made fast against rotation on the rod 4: by means ofthe pin 9, (shown in Fig. 2,) the said spring and nut serving to holdthe disk 6 in position upon the rod 4 and the shoulder 3 serving to seatthe plug 2 within the cylinder or barrel 1. In addition to the shoulder3 the said plug is preferably brazed within the cylinder 1, whereby apositive connection between the said parts is thereby established.

At the opposite end of the tube 1 is inserted a plug 10, having ashoulder 11, as shown in the sectional view in Fig. 1, abutting againsttheend of the tube 1, while a pin or bolt 12 is projected through thesaid tube and plug for the purpose of connecting the same together.Connected pivotally to the plug 10 is a hook 13, which issupported uponthe pivot 14in said plug, the inclined faces of the members 10 and 13abutting substantially within the loop 15, surrounding the said parts,which loop is held in an upward position by means of the small flatspring 16, whereby if it is desired to throw off the hook 13 all that isnecessary is to depress the loop 15 against the influence of the spring16, so as to cause it to clear the nose 17 of the said member 13,whereupon the book 13 may be swung backwardly upon its pivot. It will beobserved that perforations 18 are provided in the tube 1, through whichoil may be admitted to the interior of the tube for the purpose oflubrication, this being found desirable in a structure of this class.Instead of the hook 13 it may be found desirable to substitute a loop13, integral with a plug 10, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and itwill be understood that this modification is within the spirit of myinvention. In practice cables are connected, respectively. with theloops 5 and 13 or with loops 5 and hooks '13, or the parts may beconnected in any desired fixed members attached to or upon the vesseland a cable connected to the opposite end of the device, whereupon draftapplied to the cable will be first received by the draft-rod 4 andcommunicated through the spring 7, whereby tension will be applied tosaid spring and the jerking strains incident to towing will be minimizedor wholly avoided. V

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings the preferred form of myinvention, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise form shown, for many of tube, shouldered plugs therein at eachend,

one of said plugs being permanently connected to said tube and having alongitudinallyprojected opening therein, a draft-rod projected throughsaid opening, a loop or eyelet on the end of said rod, a spring uponsaid rod extending longitudinally of said tube, a disk upon said rodbeyond said spring, a securing nut and pin upon said rod and beyond saiddisk, a pivotally-supported engaging hook connected with one of saidplugs, and a springsupported loop surrounding one portion thereof.

2. In a draft appliance, a tube, a plug secured therein at each end,said plugs being provided with shoulders abutting against the ends ofsaid tube, in combination with a draftbar projected through one of saidplugs and extending longitudinally within said tube, a spring upon saiddraft-bar, a disk on said bar beyond said spring, means for securingsaid disk in position, an integral loop on said draftbar, an engagingmeans extending longitudinally from and pivoted to the plug at the endof the device opposite said loop, and means for locking said engagingmeans in position.

3. 1n a device of the character described, a

' said disk and said plug, in combination with a plug at the oppositeend of said tube, a rockable hook mounted on said plug, and a loopadapted to lock said hook in position.

4. In a device of the character described, a tube, plugs therein, one ofwhich is perforated longitudinally of said tube, alongitudinallyslidable draft-rod, a spring thereon, means for holdingsaid spring upon said rod, an integral loop on said rod, apivotally-supported draft-hook connected with the opposite end of thedevice, and a rockable loop adapted to lock said hook.

5. In a device of the character described, a tube, a plug in one endwith an opening therethrough, a slidable draft bar extending throughsaid opening into said tube, a spring thereon, a disk connected with theopposite end of said draft-rod, a removable plug in the end of said tubein proximity to said disk, a pivoted hook on said removable plug, and ayielding engaging member adapted to retain said hook in a lockedposition.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

ANGUS MoNEIL.

Witnesses:

ROBERT H. Burrs, JOHN GANNoN.

